Long-time Pachuca goalkeeper Calero dead at 41

Former Colombian national team and Pachuca goalkeeper Miguel Calero died on Tuesday at the age of 41.

A familiar face to American soccer fans from his years as Pachuca’s netminder, Calero made 50 appearances for the Colombian national team and was a key figure on a Pachuca side that won four Mexican League titles and four CONCACAF Champions League titles. He had retired a year ago and become Pachuca’s goalkeeper coach.

Calero suffered a stroke last month and was placed on life support after undergoing brain surgery. He was declared brain dead on Monday before being removed from life support on Tuesday.

28 Responses to Long-time Pachuca goalkeeper Calero dead at 41

I remember watching this guy a lot as a kid, so it really feels weird.He was a beast in the net for Pachuca. He had his low points with Colombian team, but he was always humble and a great player. RIP Miguel “El Condor” Calero

He was one of the more entertaining and colorful characters in the Mexican league in recent years. Not just the garish goalkeeper outfits but his personality, too.

Pachuca has been a team I admire because they achieve a lot without the money and arrogance of the bigger teams like America and Chivas. Calero was alway a leader who did a lot to organize their defense, play head games with opponents and refs, and keep the team fired up and focused on winning. And he was a good goalkeeper, too.

I’m flying a pirate’s flag at half mast. Pachuca was a great MLS foil in those CONCACAF Champions League tournaments, and he was a great part of it. I went from hating Pachuca, to enjoying rooting against them, to just plain enjoying them. Adios, it’s way too soon, I would have loved to have him floating around soccer as a coach for the next 20 years.

There are thousands of people who will never forget him. He was a legend, he was an emblem, he was Pachuca. I can’t think of another player who has had such an effect on the fans of his club, and he loved them and he loved Pachuca just as much as they did and as much as they loved him. Everyone loved him for what he did, for what he said, for who he was, both on and off the field. His passion, his loyalty. When he retired last year he said: “Si volviera a nacer, me llamaría Miguel Calero, sería colombiano, sería portero y defendería a huevo una vez más los colores del Pachuca.”
[If I were to be born again, I would be called Miguel Calero, I would be Colombian, I would be a goalkeeper, and I would damn well defend the colors of Pachuca once again].

His death is an absolute tragedy, especially because he died so young and especially because he was expected to recover from this. He had a cerebral thrombosis on November 25th and was under sedation but not on life support, and he was improving. Then he suffered a second thrombosis on December 3rd. That second thrombosis was what killed him.

Wow that’s so sad. I watched him play once in a SuperLiga match in Denver. I watched a lot of Pachuca games over the years with them being in CCL. Always respected his play, seemed like a good guy too. Shame.

He was a great goal keeper….my daughter and I watch the Mexican La Liga all the time and Pachuca is our team….this is really sad…he was fun to watch to as he was a bit of showman to boot….he will be missed….very sad indeed…

That’s my biggest memory of him as well….wagging his finger ‘no-no’ at Landon as he easily caught Landon’s ‘chip to the middle” . That save, it turns out, gave Pachuca the hardware – in the first game of the Beckham era where a trophy was at stake (and the purported $1million purse)